2017 Topic 17: Shades of White {Intro and Challenge}

 2017 Topic 17: Shades of White

Hitomi Hosono

Well hello everyone, Darcy here with a new topic. How time is flying, we are up to Topic 17 already. I am sure you are all fully immersed in the deep, rich tones of Autumn, but winter is not far away and soon we will be turning to all things white, so to prepare you for those winter whites our new topic is called 'Shades of White'

Before we start, let's see who won the Topic 16: Rust Challenge...

The winner is: Pavla from PavlArt

Email Darcy to claim your prize. Darcydotneedles@gmail.com

I think this might, at first, appear to be one of our most challenging topics, not in a difficult way, but more that it will really make you think about your project. What can you create with shades of white, what message can you convey, and how will you go about it. Also, how, or will you be able to, resist adding other colours?

White is associated with quiet, calm, light, innocence, peace and purity, it almost always looks clean (scary I know) and is generally a positive colour. It can look serene and gentle but can equally be energetic, tactile and full of emotion. 

The PaperCutter

Just how many shades of white are there? Next time you are in a DIY shop, have a look at their paint chips you will be astounded at how many whites there are. 

Winter white, snow white, smoke white, cream, eggshell, old lace, ivory, linen, antique white, off-white, baby powder, chalk, white peony, white whisper, ultra white, meringue, paper lantern, frost, moon, iceland, chantilly, and so on. For the most part, in isolation they will all look just white, it is only when you layer them up that you can see the subtle differences. 

So layering is a great way to treat a shades of white project. Even using the same white paper, once layered, can give you great shadows, which in turn make various areas of white pop more. 

Joey Bates

How about a tiny house in a champagne glass, this would be wonderful for a wedding gift or as a new home gift. 

Helen Musselwhite

Not only are there lots of whites, but there are many surface treatments too, look back over previous topics, we have had pearlescent and metallic, both of those work beautifully with white. At PaperArtsy we have Pearl glaze and Metallic glaze to accentuate your whites, look at another topic, Glitter, clear and white glitters whether fine or chunky, will dramatically change your work. 

Debby4000

So you have pulled out all your whites, you have them layered and you added glitter, how else can we create differences? 

Texture; this is always a wonderful addition. I love collecting wallpaper samples, there are some great embossed wallpapers, don't forget about handmade papers too, there are some yummy ones. You could of course make your own paper! What about texture paste, PaperArtsy Grunge paste is a perfect base to add interest, but can also be added to subsequent layers. 

Vito Capone

Other textures you could introduce would be fabric, perhaps muslin (cheesecloth) for softness, or satin for a smooth sheen, silk for a touch of delicate, or velvet for cosiness and luxury. 

Livingontheedge

Don't forget you can add all manner of embellishments such as embroidery and buttons. This is a gorgeous way to bring snowflakes indoors. 

Yvonne Pratt

Often vintage ephemera will be all different shades of white as it yellows over the years, look for old book pages, vintage fabrics and lace, old faded photographs. 

Kasia Avery

Here you can see papers and fabrics all layered together, held in place by both delicate and bold stitches. 

DJ Pettitt

Other fragile papers will also add dimension and interest, think about using tracing paper, vellum, tissue paper, music paper or deli paper, layer up all those thin papers to create a great base without bulk. 

Gristello

Maybe you are staring at a blank white page and thinking it looks intimidating enough without adding even more white, how on earth can i even start this project? Why not try starting with coloured pages, add paint or gesso or layers of paper and create your white masterpiece. How much of your colour can you cover up, that will be a challenge eh?

Druga Szesnascie

Another double spread here where book pages have been whitewashed with either diluted paint or gesso, (dilute just enough so that the pages underneath can still be seen) then the top layer is thicker paint through a stencil, a great way to layer and add a little texture. 

Oliver Jeffers

I always think these seed pods from the Lunaria plant are so ethereal, if you can find these dried out they would add gorgeous dimension to your project. 

Burpee

As if by magic, here is a mixed media piece combining old dressmakers patterns, white paint and lunaria seeds. 

Anca Gray

The above artist, Anca Gray, has some very interesting things on her blog, lots of use of whites and neutral shades, great inspiration. 

I adore these pieces stitched together, what could you hide inside those panels?

If you look carefully you can see that she has hidden wordfetti under the stitched panels. check out her blog for more inspiration. 

Anca Gray

If you fancy yourself as a fashionista you could put on a 'brave face' and go for this all white outfit! 

Viktor and Rolf

If you are looking to redecorate a space in your home then this might inspire, although the background wall is coloured you can see just how much light has been introduced by the large white mounts within the frames. 

From a full wall to tiny ornaments, how about some pebble painting. 

Shop pod

I shall leave you with something very tasty, how is this for a beautifully tiered cake. 

Hall of Cake

I hope those examples have inspired, I have to say I had a relaxing time searching for photos. I think they show that shades of white can be beautiful and peaceful but also very exciting. Have a wonderful two weeks of creating. 

Don't forget to follow Darcy and Leandra's Pinterest boards if this topic pushes your buttons, you will see plenty more examples to whet your appetite there! I am really looking forward to seeing what you create over the next 2 weeks!

~ Darcy

We hope that you  learn something interesting from our blog. Our bloggers deeply appreciate your comments so much, so please take time to let them know you've been inspired! Why not join our challenge by blogging your interpretation of the current topic and link it here?

The current topic link will close 17:00 (London Time) Sunday, 26th November 2017, and the winner will be announced 2 hours later at 19:00.

All links go in the draw to win a £50 voucher to spend on products of your choice from the PaperArtsy online store.

Challenge Guidelines

• The challenge is a for you to show how you are inspired by the current blog topic. We encourage you to play with us and explore your personal creative style.
• Please mention which PA blog post inspired you and and why (link directly to that post). Please don't link to the home page of your blog because then no-one can track back to easily find the original post.
• We prefer your challenge blog post is created exclusive to our challenge, but if our topic fits perfectly with another challenge, then you may link to both if appropriate.
• You are most welcome to use stamps/ products/ substrates you have to hand from a variety of companies, we do not expect you to exclusively use PA products - it's lovely when you do though!
• You can enter as many times as you like. We don't want to restrict your creativity! 

NB. Link closes at 17:00 Sunday 26th November, 17:00 (London Time)

Prize: The winner will receive a £50 credit voucher to be redeemed on the PaperArtsy Website. The credit voucher includes VAT and postage. We request that one of your purchases is an A5 rubber stamp. You can add any other items to your basket, but the final total should not exceed £50. It's your responsibility to claim your prize coupon from Darcy. 

email: darcydotneedles@gmail.com

NEW Challenge/ winner: Each fortnight on Sunday, the winner will be announced at 19:00 (London time). In the same post, the link for the next fortnight will be posted. 

Good Luck! If you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask!